Diyarbakır Nevruz celebration approved

DİYARBAKIR - Doğan News Agency

DHA photo

The Diyarbakır Governor’s Office approved a Nevruz celebration in the city on March 17, while celebrations planned in other provinces in the country’s eastern and southeastern were banned due to security reasons.

The Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Diyarbakır provincial co-chair Hafize İpek announced at a press meeting that the governor’s office approved the event, which was registered by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), DPB, and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) on March 10. It is scheduled to be held at Nevruz Park in the city’s Bağlar district on March 21.

İpek also said top security measures would be taken for the Nevruz celebrations in Diyarbakır, with the participation of 4,500 people in addition to security personnel assigned by provincial security directorate.
Diyarbakır’s Nevruz celebrations will also see the participation of HDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ on March 21.

However, Nevruz celebrations have been banned in many provinces amid security forces’ operations against militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the country’s eastern and southeastern region including Erzurum, Erzincan, Muş, Batman, Bingöl, Tunceli, Şırnak, Kars, Hakkari and Mardin.

In the Turkish capital Ankara, Nevruz celebrations have been also banned between March 19 and March 21. 

The Istanbul Governor’s Office also did not approve HDP’s event registration for Nevruz celebrations in Istanbul on March 16.   

Nevruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated across much of central Asia on March 21.